Anarchist Calisthenics

[Quantum Windbag]

This is, quite simply, the most profound statement on our relationship with the government I have ever read. Reading it in context only makes it more poignant.

During the day there was a fairly brisk traffic of pedestrians, cars, and trucks, and a set of traffic lights to regulate it. Later in the evening, however, the vehicle traffic virtually ceased while the pedestrian traffic, if anything, swelled to take advantage of the cooler evening breeze. Regularly between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. there would be fifty or sixty pedestrians, not a few of them tipsy, who would cross the intersection. The lights were timed, I suppose, for vehicle traffic at midday and not adjusted for the heavy evening foot traffic. Again and again, fifty or sixty people waited patiently at the corner for the light to change in their favor: four minutes, five minutes, perhaps longer. It seemed an eternity.
​

Twice, perhaps, in the course of roughly 5 hours of my observing this scene did a pedestrian cross against the light, and then always to a chorus of scolding tongues and fingers wagging in disapproval.
​

You know, you and especially your grandparents could have used more of a spirit of lawbreaking. One day you will be called upon to break a big law in the name of justice and rationality. Everything will depend on it. You have to be ready. How are you going to prepare for that day when it really matters? You have to stay ‘in shape’ so that when the big day comes you will be ready. What you need is ‘anarchist calisthenics.’ Every day or so break some trivial law that makes no sense, even if it’s only jaywalking. Use your own head to judge whether a law is just or reasonable. That way, you’ll keep trim; and when the big day comes, you’ll be ready.
​

Anarchist Calisthenics | Bleeding Heart Libertarians

 

[theDoctorisIn]

What is so "poignant" about how people in Germany cross the street?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What is so "poignant" about how people in Germany cross the street?

Thanks for making the point that some people will obey the government even when it is wrong.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

What is so "poignant" about how people in Germany cross the street?

Thanks for making the point that some people will obey the government even when it is wrong.

History has already made that point, a thousand times over.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What is so "poignant" about how people in Germany cross the street?

Thanks for making the point that some people will obey the government even when it is wrong.

History has already made that point, a thousand times over.

Does the fact that you would have been one of the many people looking the other way because you are incapable of admitting that your government is wrong make you feel comforted, or afraid?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Thanks for making the point that some people will obey the government even when it is wrong.

History has already made that point, a thousand times over.

Does the fact that you would have been one of the many people looking the other way because you are incapable of admitting that your government is wrong make you feel comforted, or afraid?

What the fuck are you talking about?

"My" (and your) government is wrong about many things, and I've never hesitated to "admit" it.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

History has already made that point, a thousand times over.

Does the fact that you would have been one of the many people looking the other way because you are incapable of admitting that your government is wrong make you feel comforted, or afraid?

What the fuck are you talking about?

"My" (and your) government is wrong about many things, and I've never hesitated to "admit" it.

Do you break the laws you think are wrong? If you don't you are not willing to admit anything,

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Does the fact that you would have been one of the many people looking the other way because you are incapable of admitting that your government is wrong make you feel comforted, or afraid?

What the fuck are you talking about?

"My" (and your) government is wrong about many things, and I've never hesitated to "admit" it.

Do you break the laws you think are wrong? If you don't you are not willing to admit anything,

Yes, I do break laws. Frequently.

 

[Clementine]

This is the same phenomenon in airports when TSA agents yell "freeze." Even though people don't have to do this by law, they all obey. In a video, when one man kept walking, the others chastised him for it. The people were already in the secure area and screened already, but it was simply a test to see how easily crowds could be controlled.

We have too many laws that seek to dictate our every move. More and more laws were made and, like obedient sheep, we followed them without question. It is about control and I say we should ignore the stupid laws.

Of course, following laws can also get you into big trouble if you are a border state and wish to protect citizens. If you obey the immigration laws, the administration will sue you.

It's not really about jaywalking laws or upholding federal laws anymore. It's about the whims of the current regime. They ignore laws that don't help their agenda and continue to create more oppressive legislation to aid in obedience training for citizens.

Every time the government hands down a new law or new tax, they practically dare people to speak out against it. They attack those that do. The continually vilify all those on the right because it's a given they will disagree with their politics. But, it goes even further than that nowadays. Even a private citizen, Joe the plumber, was investigated for merely asking a question. We were treated to his entire life story and he was ridiculed by the left simply because he tripped Obama up and got him to admit he believes in wealth redistribution. The message was that it would happen to you if you spoke out like that. Making examples of those who step out of line in order to silence others by teaching them a lesson. All part of the obedience training. Of course, anyone reading Alinsky's Rules for Radicals and other Marxist writings are well aware of these tactics and why they are used.

 

[mamooth]

Germans don't obey "The government". They obey the signs, no matter whose signs they are. Put up a sign, Germans obey it. No sign, they assume no rules at all, and act accordingly. It's a sort of very literal culture.

As far as the daily libertarian lawbreaking goes, eventually they get to taxes, and obviously tax cheating is justifiable in the name of liberty. The more breaking a law benefits a libertarian, the more likely they'll justify breaking it in the name of freedom. Not any different from other people, except other people just admit they're breaking the law for personal benefit. I don't break the speed limit because I love freedom, I do it because I want to go faster.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Germans don't obey "The government". They obey the signs, no matter whose signs they are. Put up a sign, Germans obey it. No sign, they assume no rules at all, and act accordingly. It's a sort of very literal culture.

As far as the daily libertarian lawbreaking goes, eventually they get to taxes, and obviously tax cheating is justifiable in the name of liberty. The more breaking a law benefits a libertarian, the more likely they'll justify breaking it in the name of freedom. Not any different from other people, except other people just admit they're breaking the law for personal benefit. I don't break the speed limit because I love freedom, I do it because I want to go faster.

Feel free to post a list of all the libertarians that ended up in jail for tax evasion.

The idea here is that breaking laws that are sill, stupid, or flat out wrong, is a duty of every citizen. It, ultimately, is our best control of the government.

 

[MikeK]

This is, quite simply, the most profound statement on our relationship with the government I have ever read. Reading it in context only makes it more poignant.

During the day there was a fairly brisk traffic of pedestrians, cars, and trucks, and a set of traffic lights to regulate it. Later in the evening, however, the vehicle traffic virtually ceased while the pedestrian traffic, if anything, swelled to take advantage of the cooler evening breeze. Regularly between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. there would be fifty or sixty pedestrians, not a few of them tipsy, who would cross the intersection. The lights were timed, I suppose, for vehicle traffic at midday and not adjusted for the heavy evening foot traffic. Again and again, fifty or sixty people waited patiently at the corner for the light to change in their favor: four minutes, five minutes, perhaps longer. It seemed an eternity.
​

Twice, perhaps, in the course of roughly 5 hours of my observing this scene did a pedestrian cross against the light, and then always to a chorus of scolding tongues and fingers wagging in disapproval.
​

You know, you and especially your grandparents could have used more of a spirit of lawbreaking. One day you will be called upon to break a big law in the name of justice and rationality. Everything will depend on it. You have to be ready. How are you going to prepare for that day when it really matters? You have to stay ‘in shape’ so that when the big day comes you will be ready. What you need is ‘anarchist calisthenics.’ Every day or so break some trivial law that makes no sense, even if it’s only jaywalking. Use your own head to judge whether a law is just or reasonable. That way, you’ll keep trim; and when the big day comes, you’ll be ready.
​

Anarchist Calisthenics | Bleeding Heart Libertarians

Compliant behavior is not surprising for Germans most of whom are conditioned by the authoritarian influence of Lutheranism, the ultimate effect of which contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.